Potato-digger.



J. R. COOK.

POTATO BIGGER.

'AIPLIOATION TILED APR. 4, 190a.

926,979. Patented July 6,1909.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

auvenlfoz V MM Wihwooea attain:

J. R. 000K. POTATO BIGGER. APPLICATION FILED APE.4.1908.

926,979. Patented Julyfi, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

witness gdww lilflililii 19mm TO- mii-iijitii.

m" i filvil gitl'l, l :Wn iiwcnteil (win-min new and" this iiliiiiictiir which man he ilriv 1i tlirmigli.

it liielii lot the collection of potatoes, and to EH) iii ti'imt the. digger Wlimeli'v vines am} woi'ul will be discharged separately l'i'mi'i the gm? mots.

.5 l'mtiiiii' nl'ijact of this inventiiiii is to pm title it gintittci digger which "will iiil'eiitively tltim iilijii i tiz w ll minim: U will be nip pit 'fiilt li-iim the: iming: (lee 'ption mini. it in isiiiiviwl;w il Limit izliziiigws in the spa? ictlisiitiirri fulltliv'l'l imil iiesm'iiwifl may be thin the i-mnpii of the irlitim Without inimi'tiiigg; lion: this spirit of the iiiventim'i.

iii the drawings i'm'miiig; 2i pm'timi of this specific Zion, dull-iii which iii;- i'HlillGiILlf-i f i'ei'iei'eii-zzc indicate similar parts in tlm SPA mill ViMt R, Figure l, 2L siilo clevzttiiiniiil. 'ViOW ui' tlic pitltnt invention, l igg. 2 is ii rtimil ii iiitiidiiiiil SGGUUHELl Viewtlimiigii tliz smile, Fig). it top plan, 'vitaw, .l! l. is 2. vertical trriiiiwii so sci-,tiimiii View in the lirm -il---- .i of

in i'ziii'ry'iiig out the object oi' my iiivei'itiiiii, Ii. cmpluy FL suitable siliz'tlt it tn tliu ands 0i it me fix 3 the Wl] BOlS .3 so that the shaft 1i i'i. tzjitiiis with the Wilfii-Sifii. lflmciziwl t0 tliisi sliitl't A iMU; two niliir mile boards or 1mm, lmm 12 mi 13 W13. in t mp VlibW in ,l ig'. 5E3 ztilfi tin-ism side Jniimlicm 1n limit m1). mil neiatml tn ii; adm ral uint 4: Wliiiili him ii ixi'xiptyiligg and -152- UUR'VMI. upwimti its tilt? LlU HGi iii liig 2.

illika-i'iswis(sly disposed. liiiluw time emptying iiiiil. ml the slim iii. point all, is it tiwiiis'vui'rwi aim vayiir: til ii iii t l 6 which at C(Ltjli enil limit-10E u lmlt sprocket 17. Pm'tioiim'i to the mail. iii? the siliiiit Mi t ifiilfnilztl cmwiiyr shaft 18 my this i-iiml't 1.55 at (Bitfiil and. mum: ii belt 53 t W. 'lwo {211i laws belts Til itl'B l'lfltMlO to pass over "i 0 spmq ilE-E and 19, and. trait, iii'aelyiiii.i'.i'i M. by 'Lllmilfl halts 21 {we the lEipecificattimi of Letters, Patent.

Application filed April 4t, 1905;. Serial, N0. lZ'fiJ JSZ.

Patented July 13 1 i? Fig. l, is; piwwirliul with it i'lliiin Spifiiili'iii Ell. PUSl'tiOllllil zizljzwmit tn tlie'iilizilt lil il-i u, Eiliitfl} 3h iris-tying the beater blitil'lil 3:3. This iimtiii nit 33 mm (HM! stile all?!) W viileil with :t driving iaiuiiii' .ipi'mtlict 34 km r-slwwn in Fl l. i

emi 14-.

flu-thin, provided with it elm-ii sprocket 24 Tim Sliztl t I32 1:; 'msitiimail lmlow :mtl itil mmnt trrsiiiil shaft 19%, Mill lmld. iii spitm ii l't littinn 1' swim-ed within the and. pui'tim'is I i of the slain brim-(ls is; it tumiimil siliiti't 27 zit (mi-l1 (mil cznying'nil Jsy ii'oulwt lit the point \VllCl'C the liui'moiitnlly' disposed portion l ft mctemls i'i'um tlm iniiliiicil. poi-lion til the siile lJGaLltlJ- ii; msitioncil it siippm'ting siiiti't m-i'ryirig; two lwlt sprockets 26, and below this shall, 25 is a shaft 25 carrying H, S! 2: lim spmulmt, {LS shown in Fig. 2.

Passing over the bait i-lPi'ULliOllS 2G ttllll. 25%, are twn endless bvlts 41a, :LiHi those lmlts :uc lJOIJIlOCiLEd by a plurality of ti'ziimvm-sely disposed. lJiL'i'S Ill), so as to form an endless grate conveyor. Tim uppci' portion of thin noiiviiyei' grate is suppui'tml by means of tin. $021113?) 26 wliiiv, tlm lOWQI' portion oi this MHl-- lass grate it; supported. upon: the shaft 253' VU'il-S 3] as shown in liig. :3 lmigjitii limtlly tllSpOStKi siippmting gi'attu lJKLTEi 30, which bars have their iGWM ends dim-- pose l in parallel relation its alumni in iliig. 3, While Lil their upper ands, siiiil iJU'S imvii their ends connected in stats of twus, so that the spawn lMElJWWIH sitiil giattii heirs zit tliia lithisli: 011ml of the digger ggi'iulmilly inqieitiws, iii: is ulmi-iily shown. in said Fig. 3. i lxtomling from the side board 12 are tlm brawn I'()(|S 41 which support it miitzttilii latinum 44-, u mn i512 i, it will lm mtimul that then-- Positioned immeiliittaly lieli'nv the better, is it driving COIlVCfJlE-l slmft 722, whichslml't at mull end CmlliO-A :1 halt spxnclcstklffi, and upon the outside, ms shown in Fig. i, is i which platform is placed a suitable crate or other receptacle 45 to receive the harvested potatoes. Secured to the side member 13, as shown in Fig. 4, are a plurality of horizontally disposed grate bars 46 which terminate above the platform 44 and are arranged toempty into the receptacle carried upon said platform 44. As described, I provi e a simle conveyer mechanism, which is operated by a single chain 39. This chain simultaneously rotates the conveyer shafts l8 and 22, as well as actuating the beater shaft 33.

The operation of this invention is very sim le. As the digger is carried through the fiel the shovel scoops all of the potatoes with the clinging vines out of the earth, and these, with the attaching soil are de osited upon the grate conveyer within the orward portion of the machine. As the potatoes and vines encounter the beater 32, they are separated and drop upon the coarser grate conveyer, the drop ing of the potatoes loosening the earth whlc drops through the open grate conveyer and between-the bars 30. The ippltatoes are then dragged upward and soon (1 an escape between the diverging ends of the bars 30, the vines that remain clinging to the potatoes being torn off and dropping at the rear of the machine. The potatoes after escaping from between the bars 30 engage the grate 46 and are then deposited in the rece tacle 45.

The evice is sim le of construction and readily operated, an having thus described my said invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent is In a device of the character described, a conveyer operating mechanism comprising two side bars, a wheel supported axle secured to said side bars, a gear on said axle, a conveyer shaft held between said side boards, a chain sprocket carried by said shaft, a second conveyer shaft positioned below andadjacent to said first mentioned shaft, a chain sprocket secured to said last mentioned shaft, .a beater shaft held above said last mentioned shaft and to the rear of said first mentioned shaft, a chain sprocket carried by saidbeater shaft, a stub s aft carried by one of said side boards, a gear upon said stub shaft having an integral chain sprocket, said shaft and axle ear meshing, and a driving chain engaging all of Said sprockets, in the manner shown.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature,

in presence of two witnesses.

' JOHN R. COOK.

Witnesses:

FLOYD E. LOCKWOOD, JAMEs L. WELcn; 

